Do (or did) any of you play a musical instrument and if so, play in a band or orchestra, or in a recital? Do any of you like classical music and/or jazz (not Dixieland, but progressive jazz, as it was called in the ‘50s), and hate rock ‘n roll and ‘pop’ music as in American Idol stuff? I just want to see if I am alone in this world, a musical snob. I hope there is at least one person out there like me. (Big bands..Miller, Goodman…and music of Henry Mancini also good).
TJ, I played the clarinet in highschool and made it all the way up to 3rd clarinet. Since then I have not played much, if any. But I still like the Big Band music, especially Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman. I like light classical music for background.
TexasJoe, never played an instrument until 3 months after graduating from high school in 1972. Looked around and said to myself, "if this 'work' is all there is to life, then I need to get a hobby". Learned how the guitar and harmonica worked. Eventually played in several bands for money. Only never enough money:) But I've always loved ALL kinds of music save for classical. Just seemed like it went on and on and on without wanting to end.
Anyway, I'm a professional land surveyor and I think it's against the law to be one and not play the guitar.
I played Clarinet in the Marching band (until I became the Majorette).and played clarinet and Oboe in the concert band.
Joe, my husband was Company Clerk for the Glenn Miller Orchestra during WWII...After Glenn went down in the English Channel, the band continued to tour and play his musical arrangements throughout Western Europe until he was discharged in April of 1945. My husband made all the arrangements for the shows and ticket sales, etc. He said it was a blast! Isn't that neat??
I play Piano, by Ear....the most fun I had with that was at the Italian American Club in Cleaarwater, we would put on a musical every year...we would have a drummer, a sax player, a vilon, the singers would all have to sing in the key of C....thats what I played in... we had a blast..when it was all put together, it wasn't all that bad...made some money for the Club....I enjoy all kinds of music...but especially the music of the Big Band Sounds....NancyB sounds like your husband had a great job,
RB13, truth be known, he could have ended up in the brig. When he enlisted, he wrote that he could play a musical instrument. Fact is, he was the Boy Scout Bugler, and wanted to be the one to play TAPS and other bugle calls when he was in the Army. THey assigned him to Special Services - all of his friends went into the Infantry etc., and he went into the Entertainment Corps... --- and had to fess up as to his mistake. oh Lord, he said he was so afraid. He was 19 years old!.. As it was, the Master Sargent he talked with was a kind hearted soul,.and found him a "non playing job" in the Special Services. Incidentally, the singer back then was a skinny Italian kid named Anthony Benedetto (Tony Bennett after the war). He has pictures of him..and he was very thin - with a big nose and a big Adam's apple! ;~) Tony (and my husband definitely improved their good looks through maturity.
Nancy, your husband must have had a lot of good stories to tell. I play a little piano and played trombone and tenor sax in high school. The reason I played Trombone is the school furnished the instruments and that was what was available.
This has been fascinating! See what kind of info you get when you ask? Nancy, that is a fantastic story...what a great job for him to have...I am so impressed. Wow! And to you pianer players...I am so jealous! I took a semester of piano when I was a music major and flunked. I cannot get the idea of it, yet I totally appreciate the players like Teddy Wilson in the Goodman band, and Erroll Garner, George Shearing, etc. I would LOVE to be able to play..why won't God let me?? I don't play sax any more...gave it up after college. Sold both sax and clarinet. Thank you all for your comments. As I was afraid, no one said they liked progressive jazz like the sound track of "The Wild One" with Marlin Brando (sp ?). I guess I'm still alone. BTW, my favorite Miller tune..."Perfidia".
I played the clarinet from the 4th grade on..........added a bass clarinet and violin. My major in college was music until I discovered "other" things.......(no, not illegal). I do wish had had continued with music as a major though.
Love the Big Band sounds........eventhough my parents made me play my clarinet and dance during Lawrence Welk.....Still do like light rock though and classical.
I played the cornet in high school band and took 4 yrs of piano lessons, but never became "accomplished." Hb took piano lessons as a kid and later in the 70's as an adult. He still plays some every day--has been and is a de-stresser, I think. When he can't play.....Only knows 1 song by memory--his first recital piece. Nancy B your husband's story is interesting. I'm certain it was fun and MUCH better than being in the infantry.
I played the piano growing up, still would if I had a decent piano and didn't drive my husband to distraction playing it..
Daughter and I put my husband to bed early tonight with admonitions to stay in bed (which he did) and we went off to see Trinity Rep's production of Cabaret. It was marvelous, and we both enjoyed it very very much. J. and I don't get out often together but we're good friends. Cabaret - oh the music!! it was so great!! I'm classical and Broadway.. and I have a son who plays the ukelele quite happily!
I am totally unmusical. However, my DH played cornet in the Marching Illini many years ago. Our older son majored in music (played clarinet), has a Ph.D. in musicology and taught at Georgetown. He is now on the faculty at the University of Maryland teaching graduate students. His wife also majored in music and is now in the U.S. Army Ceremonial Brass Band (plays trombone) and is the only and first woman in the Army Herald Trumpets (see my pictures on facebook). Our younger son plays cello, clarinet and sax, and his wife plays violin, although neither of them are career musicians.
Alternated between flute and saxophone from 2nd grade on. My older sister also played them so whichever one she decided not to play that year, I got. In high school I started on the sax and migrated to the baritone sax which I loved. In my senior year I was invited to 'Music in May'. It is a invitation only for high school senior at the college in Forest Grove, OR. As far as I know they still do it. You are sent your music ahead of time, have two days of practice, live on campus, and put the concert on the 3rd day. They give you a record (I am sure it is CD's now) of the concert. There is a 200 piece orchestra, 200 piece band and 100 piece choir. Going from a school with only 40 people in the band, it was awesome. At the end of the concert everyone did the national anthem together - how moving that was.
In 81-83 when we lived in Omak I played in the community orchestra (no try outs!). The second year I was asked to switch to Oboe since there were plenty of flutes. I rented one during the summer and learned to play it well enough to play it in the orchestra. It was a dream that came to an end due to my hb affair. He always seemed to sabotage my dreams.
My music taste depends on my moods. HB doesn't like big bands or marches, but he does like the oldies, hymns and older praise & worship.
I still love good ole' Sousa March music. Hard to keep your foot from tapping when a good march is being played. Don't you love those Star Spangled Banner Tributes with the Boston Pops on the Fourth of July?
A little more bragging here - Nancy, my son's dissertation was on Sousa. He is considered a Sousa expert and frequently gives talks on him.
For his 12th birthday, what he wanted for his present was tickets for him, his dad, and me to go to a city 70 miles away to hear Itzak Perlman. When he was about that same age, I loved going to music stores with him. The clerks tried to direct him toward current music (whatever it was), but he always wanted a specific piece of classical music played by a particular orchestra, possibly with a specific soloist. It was fun to watch the clerks' faces.
I played flute in the band in high school and college but had no real talent for it. Love classical music now, especially with flute solos. Great joy: I now have a daughter in law here in Holland who plays and teaches the shepherd's flute (panflute) professionally. She played for the candlelight service in our church in Elliston, Ohio a couple years ago on Christmas eve, together with a flutist and people are still reminding me when I visit how it was like the singing of angels.
I gave my flute away to another flute teacher friend who came to visit us recently: she has some needy pupils, and I had not touched it for years, it needs some repair work. I considered it part of my decluttering.
I think this is a great thread...we could start our own Band....so much talent.. My Father is the one that had the music in him...handed a bit down to me....but My Grand-children are the Top Players...We have Violin, Cello, Slid Trobone..Drums...I am so proud of them...Julia inherited my Fathers Violin, Aaron has my Brothers Slid Trobone ( that he played in service, Drum and Bugle Corp) and The Beat Goes On...music is my therapy...I keep a station on all day, that plays all the Oldies..love it...
Nancy B...that story about Tony Bennet and his big nose, reminded me of the first time I saw Vic Damone..at the Paramont in N.Y.C...he also had a Big nose...(had it fixed later) but he had a great voice....Perry Como was my idol.....remember his first ( or one of his first) Prisoner of Love...that was in 1943 approx. Oh the Good Old Days!!!!!
RB13, One of my DH's daughters told the story of looking for her Dad a Christmas present. She wanted to give him a sweater. The clerk was showing her the brightly colored, zig zag knits that were all the rage, and she kept saying "no, no no". The young clerk wasn't LISTENING to her. A much older salesperson came by and she tagged him and asked, "Could you help us please and show us some Perry Como Sweaters?" The older salesperson knew exactly the kind she wanted, and she purchased one for her Dad.
NancyB: I had a hard time finding the"Perry Como " sweaters last winter...finallly found a couple in the Thrift Store....Oh Well, so much for our Age Group:
I loved Perry Como's ease and style. I'm told he was exactly the same in his private life. Loved golf, lived a relatively simple life (on a golf course of course...) and wore those Perry Como cardigan sweaters all the time! They ARE hard to find. I probably should start looking for them again, because DH is so cold natured now. Wool makes him itchy...so I have to find a cotton or polyester knit, which is fine during Texas winters.
I got my first drum set when I was 14. Played in the H.S. band and marching band. Really enjoyed it. After college, I got into a jazz/rock band in Calif. with 4 other guys I worked with. Had a ball. Then, after moving back to Montana, didn't touch my drums for ~ 23 years. My youngest son had a very unique graduating class - 700 extremely talented and well behaved kids. Quite a few of them had parents who were professional musicians and one of them had the idea of putting together a band for the kids graduation party. I was recruited to be the drummer. There we 8 of us in the band and our name was "the Grateful Dads". We practiced about 5 times before graduation - 70's rock. At the party, we played the first set at 10pm and the last set at 4 a.m. Different bands made up of students filled that gap. The kids just loved it. Haven't touched the sticks since. Thenneck